


Not the End

by Vulpixi_Misa



Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-28 18:16:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21141071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vulpixi_Misa/pseuds/Vulpixi_Misa
Summary: In a world where fighting is the only importance, two fighters do the impossible. They fall in love.[Crossposted from FF.net, published in 2008.]





	Not the End

**Author's Note:**

> Gonna start posting some old fic from FF.net because I want more works on AO3 of my ships.
> 
> Not revised at all to keep the integrity of an old fic.

In this world, everything is a game and in games, the most important thing is winning. These games are fights, where characters from several worlds come together to beat the snot out of each other. Each fight is a four player free for all, and occasionally, a team of two on two (or one on three). Basically, they fight until the last player (or team) is remained standing, or when the time runs out and the winner is decided by how many players they've knocked out.

After each round, the players return to their rightful places in the roster. These characters are merely fighters in this game of Super Smash Brothers. Their main purpose is to fight; they have no need for anything else, whether that is basic survival needs (food), companions (friends) or emotions (joy). These things were not necessary in this game, they only hindered the fighting.

If a fighter gained such things as hunger, friends or joy, there would be trouble.

The first thing that came to his mind was darkness. At that moment, he wasn't sure of where he was or what had happened. It seemed that he had just woken up from a really long sleep; a sleep with no dreams.

This time he opened his eyes and was almost blinded by a golden yellow color. Blinking back a few tears, he quickly realized that the golden yellow was actually a wall, and that he was in a tiny space with no entrance or exit or windows. He cautiously got to his feet.

The squeaking of his sneakers echoed in the tiny room as he made his way around it, examining the corners and every surface. There was nothing out of place, the room was all yellow and flat and there seemed no way out.

There was a slight jump in his chest and the thought of escaping entered his mind. Strange, he's not so sure why he had the sudden urge to bang on the walls, and his hands and forehead became a little sweaty. The beating against his chest was very rapid and it was the first time he felt like this. This was the first time he felt fear.

He curled his hands into a fist and smacked it against the yellow wall. A loud thud echoed through the room but that was it. Several more times he banged his hand against the wall but nothing happened. He wasn't sure what was _supposed_ to happen anyway.

He stood staring at the wall, his hand still in a fist, resting against the same wall. His mind was racing. What happened here? How did I get here? What's going on?

He let his hand drop to his side, and that was when his arm brushed against something on his waist. He looked down and attached to his belt were three red and white spheres. Those were familiar to him, yes, very familiar. He picked one off his belt and held it in this palm.

A ball of light flashed from the ball and after the light faded a small blue turtle was staring back at him.

"Squirtle?"

Right, this was his pokemon, Squirtle, one of his most trusted partners. Kneeling down, he petted the water type pokemon, and he chirped its name out happily. He nodded and returned his Squirtle back into its pokeball.

He was a pokemon trainer. Better yet, he's _the_ Pokemon Trainer in this game, Super Smash Brothers Brawl. He didn't know how he could have forgotten that.

He had three pokemon, Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard. Each of his pokemon was special and unique in their own ways and made a powerful combination when all of them were together. He remembered now how he was fought to win in many matches and brawls.

"So this place...."

He paused. The echo of the boyish voice faded and then he realized that he had just spoken. Strange he didn't even recognize his own voice, unless it was to command his pokemon and cheering them on when they won.

"This is... Super Smash Brothers..."

"PLAYER 2, Pokemon Trainer!" A voice above him had blared out his name, the announcement echoing through the small yellow confinement.

He suddenly felt the surge of adrenaline swell through his veins. A small smirk curled up on his lips and he grabbed a pokeball off his belt, enlarging it.

"Go for it!"

There was blackness again, but when he opened his eyes, he was not in the yellow room. The bright blue sky, there were white fluffy clouds and beautiful gold and white pillars were everywhere. He recognized this place; it was Skyworld.

In the main field, a green pipe appeared from the golden floor and a man in red and blue overalls jumped out.

"Lets'a go!"

Pokemon Trainer recognized him as Mario. The boy remembered that as second player, he should present his fighter next. He threw out Ivysaur's pokeball, and the said grass/poison type appeared in the main field next to Mario.

An angel descended from bright lights and a woman in blue spandex emerged from her broken orange armor. Fighter Pit and Zero Suit Samus appeared in their respective positions.

"3" "2" "1" "GO!"

Everyone became animate and the fighters all leapt from their spots to the next closest fighter.

"Ivysaur, Razor Leaf!"

That's right, he had to win.

He was back in the yellow room again. The trainer had lost to Mario, putting him in second place with Pit. This was all familiar to him, but then again, he didn't remember ever sweating so much during a battle. The pounding in his chest was somewhat new too. And the ache in his heart when he didn't win was something he didn't want to experience again. Also, this yellow room was something he never saw before. It wasn't the trophy room, or the stadium where they beat up the Sandbag.

"Where... am I?"

His words echoed and were left unanswered.

And then he felt that this room was too small and too cold. He was alone.

He didn't know how long he had been there; there was no way to tell. Every once in a while he would be called in for a Brawl, he would win some, and he would lose some.

He had learned that the cold and empty feeling he experienced in this yellow room was called Loneliness. He was so very glad that he had his three pokemon and he let them out whenever he felt this Loneliness. Still, other than Brawls and occasional Stadium and Training, there was no change in routine.

He had just emerged victorious from a one on one brawl against Fox. The battle occurred on The Bridge of Eldin with a three stock match, no time limit. It was a tough fight, but Charizard’s Rock Smash and a side smash finished off the vulpine warrior. So here he was, back in that yellow room he stayed in until the next possible Brawl. He settled against the wall, crossing his legs on the floor, his head rested on the solid surface.

Suddenly, a bang was heard from the wall adjacent to where he sat. The noise hummed and vibrated every fiber of the room. Curious as to the cause of the noise, the trainer got up. Another bang was sounded, followed by a few more dull thuds. If he hadn’t known any better, he would have thought that someone was hitting the wall with a heavy object.

It was quiet for a while, but then the banging went on again in a new vigor. When it got silent again, Pokemon Trainer put his ear up to the wall. It was difficult to hear, but if he concentrated hard enough, it sounded like someone was talking.

A warm feeling filled his chest, Hope. Perhaps there was someone else here that was in the same situation he was in?

He leaned his ear against the wall again. The next loud bang startled him so badly he ended up on the floor with his eardrums ringing. Rubbing his throbbing temples, he carefully pulled himself up, not too close to the wall, incase another bang was to happen.

“Dammit!”

There it was; a voice from the other side! Rushing back to the wall again, he pounded on it with all his might.

“Hello!”

Something dropped on the other side of the wall, and then scraping was heard, as if the dropped object was picked up.

“Hello?” The trainer repeated.

“Hey.” A voice responded through the solid barrier.

The trainer couldn’t believe how incredibly pleasing it was to hear another person’s voice. It had been too long since he had found himself in this room with no doors, and even his pokemon’s company was becoming dull. The jumping of his heart in his chest made him so giddy, he didn’t know what else to say.

“Um, hello! I was wondering if you can help me. I seem to be stuck in this place.”

The voice didn’t respond right away, but its next words made Pokemon Trainer’s heart sink.

“Actually, I don’t even know how I got here either, so I’m pretty much in the same situation as you.”

“Oh…” Wait a minute… “That means you’re a Smash Brother too?”

“…Actually**,** yes. Is this really Super Smash Brothers?”

“Yes, I’ve been here for a while, I don’t know how I got here, but I’m pretty sure this is still Smash Brothers. I’ve been going to my brawls, but after that I come back here.”

Pokemon Trainer waited for some sort of response but no one had answered. The trainer sat down on the floor, and waited. He didn’t want to be disappointed yet, just when he had found someone to talk to, he didn’t want to lose that.

It had been after a very long time but the voice _did_ come back. It was unfortunate that Pokemon Trainer was still waiting against the same wall when the banging suddenly returned. The tremor vibrated around his room and threw him off his balance.

“Hello?”

Scrambling up to his feet, the trainer pounded the wall.

“Hi again!”

“Hey.”

“I’m glad you came back! I was afraid that you were gone forever.”

“Well, there’s no way out of here other than through a Brawl, so I don’t think it’s possible for me to leave.”

“Oh, so you were in a Brawl all this time?” He felt relieved, he wasn’t sure what he would have done if the other person really had left.

“Multiple brawls actually. Wi-Fi.”

“I see.”

After getting past the fake pleasantries, the boy really didn’t know what else to talk about. It had been too long since he engaged in a proper conversation; he didn’t really know where to start.

“Um, so, I’m Pokemon Trainer, may I get your name?”

It was quiet for a moment.

“Ah, the kid in the back that uses the three pokemon.”

He didn’t know why, but the comment made his face feel hot. So this other person knew of him, that was good, but he still had no idea who the other person was. Judging by the voice, he could tell it was a male and was someone older than him.

“Ike, of the Greil Mercenaries.”

Ike… The trainer recognized the name for the buff swordsman that carried and swung that big golden sword around. The guy was a demon on the battle field.

“Um, so, Ike, how long have you been stuck in there?”

“Huh, I’m not sure, there’s no way to tell, but it didn’t feel like too long.”

“Oh. …What was that banging from before?”

“I thought I would be able to break these walls down with Ragnell. I don’t know what they’re made of but it seems impossible to even chip.”

Pokemon Trainer just stood there. The thought of breaking the walls down never occurred to him, and suddenly he felt inferior (as in, dumb). In fact, other than the first time when he arrived here he never really thought of escaping from the confinement, he just thought that it was a natural part of the Smash Brothers world.

“Trainer?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“What is there to do in this place?”

“…Nothing actually. I just sit here until I’m called for a Brawl, or Training or Stadium.”

“…”

“…Ike?”

“…There must be some way out of here.”

“PLAYER 1, Pokemon Trainer!”

The trainer got up from his spot. He wondered if he should have said good-bye to Ike before he left, but he realized it didn’t matter, since both of them would still end up back here anyway.

“So you don’t remember what happened before this?”

Pokemon Trainer sat with his legs crossed and contemplated the question. He really didn't remember anything that wasn't fighting against other characters in this world called Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Besides being a pokemon trainer, he realized he didn’t have much else to go by. He didn’t remember what town he came from, how he got his pokemon, why he was even here in the first place or if Pokemon Trainer was actually his real name.

All this came up just from a question that Ike had asked him. Ever since he had “discovered” Ike, Pokemon Trainer’s stay in the yellow walled room was more tolerable. Whenever the both of them weren’t called in for a Brawl, they would sit by the wall that separated them and they would just talk. What they talked about ranged from anything to everything to the limits of their knowledge.

“Trainer?”

“Oh, sorry Ike, I was just thinking. I don’t know anything from before the Smash Brothers. I know I traveled a lot and I battled other pokemon a lot, but I don’t have any specific memories of doing any of those things.”

“Honestly, I don’t remember anything before this either. I feel like I should know something though. All I know was that I came from Crimea. Why am I “Ike of the Greil Mercenaries”? Who was Greil anyway? From the sound of it, he sounds like my father. If I had any parents, I wonder if I had any siblings.”

It’s a lonely world, not being able to remember anything, and the only memories were of a bunch of fights that would never end. The most knowledge they had about themselves were very little, and that small amount didn’t help in anyway.

“I wonder if Pokemon Trainer is my real name.”

“…It doesn’t sound like a real name to me. I thought pokemon trainers were just a type of people.”

“…”

“Trainer?”

“…Never mind Ike.”

“…I’m sorry if I offended you.”

“It’s nothing really.”

When they were not conversing amongst themselves at that space separated by the yellow walls, the two would be out to battle; there they never talked to one another. Rather, they were not allowed to interact in any way other than battle, but the two seem to have broken that rule the moment they met.

“That was a good match.”

“If you haven’t smashed my Squirtle as that last second, it would have been a Sudden Death.”

“Well, I do whatever I have to to win.”

“…Say Ike?”

“Hm?”

“Why do you fight?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Actually, why do any of us fight?”

“Because we’re supposed to, it’s who we are.”

“…Really?”

“It’s the basic rule of Smash Brothers. Even if it’s friendly competition, it’s still competition.”

“…We still never found the answer to how we got here.”

“…This is true, but I doubt the answer would come up any time or at all for that matter.”

Countless amounts of time passed and the two Smash Brothers still did not find the answers that they asked. They did find something however, that neither of them really asked for.

“So then Wario jumps off his bike and Marth’s Final Smash misses! The guy goes flying off the screen and he loses a life! Marth was so pissed that he went after Wario the entire match, I couldn’t say it ended well for him.”

Pokemon Trainer burst out laughing at Ike’s recall of his latest four-way Brawl. The sound of Ike’s laughter from the other side was comforting too. He found that whenever Ike laughed or said anything cheerful like declaring his victory in another battle, he was also put in a good mood. The Loneliness that he felt so long ago was just a small thing of the past, and with him now, he felt Companionship.

“Hey Ike?”

“Yeah?”

“…Thanks.”

“What for? I didn’t do anything.”

The trainer smiled at himself, he knew Ike wouldn’t get it, but he wanted to thank him anyway. He felt that if Ike was there, then he wouldn’t mind being trapped in a room, destined to never leave and fight for eternity.

Then again, there were times when Pokemon Trainer really wanted to get out of the room. After a streak of losses, the trainer would feel useless sometimes and fighting would just seem pointless. Before the time when Ike came, he would sit in some random corner and just mope about it, wondering where he went wrong or what move he shouldn’t have done. After a while, his confidence would come back and his urge to fight rejuvenated. Now with Ike just on the other side of his room, Pokemon Trainer didn’t know how to cope with a loss.

“Trainer?”

“….”

“Come on, just because you were the first one out, doesn’t mean you suck.”

“…But I lost.”

“Yeah, but you win some and you lose some, it’s just the nature of these fights.”

“…Come back and tell me that when you lose to Jigglypuff.”

“Jigglypuff is a fighter too, and he can be pretty tough at sometimes, you can’t underestimate him.”

“…”

“Come on, red, you can’t mope around forever.”

“Actually I can, there’s nothing else to do here but that.”

“Wow red, I’ve never heard you so negative before, you’re usually so hyped up.”

“…”

“Come on red, get up, you’ll beat Jigglypuff next time, I’m sure of it.

“…Why do you keep calling me Red?”

Ike was quiet.

“I figured I give you a nickname since “Pokemon Trainer” doesn’t sound like a real name. And I don’t want to call you Trainer all the time, it sounds disrespectful.”

“…But why Red?”

“Because you wear red all the time.”

Pokemon Trainer snorted. “I have alternate colors too you know.”

“Yeah but you have two red ones. And most of your main color is red.”

Ike smiled when he heard the trainer’s soft chuckle on the other side.

“Red is not any more of a name than Pokemon Trainer.”

“Well, it’s a little easier on the ears than calling you Trainer all the time.”

“Haha… …Hey Ike?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“…No problem, that’s what friends are for.”

Whenever they would fight on the same battle field together, the two always end up the last two on a stock match, where they would duke it out. The winner of those matches would vary, as they both put their all into it. When there was a team battle and they were paired together, their team would be invincible. Somehow, whenever one was close to the other, they would fight a lot better and a lot more, until victory came to one or both of them. They were the best rivals and they were the best partners.

Something was wrong, and someone had noticed.

“You know that Snake guy always gave me strange vibes.”

Ike polished his Ragnell with the folds of his cape. He wasn’t sure what his friend was talking about.

“What do you mean?”

“You know how he talks to that Colonel guy sometimes in the middle of the fight?”

“…Yeah?”

“...Well, he talks about you like you’re not even there.”

“…And?”

“…Never mind.”

“What is it Red?”

“…Am I really not a fighter? Snake says that my pokemon do all the work, and I just stand in the back and never do anything.”

“You’re giving out commands, I say you’re fighting.”

“…But I’m never really out there, like in the main battle field. I see everyone else out there, getting smashed on the head or shot with a gun or bounced off the stage by a bumper. I feel like I’m not doing anything but standing there.”

“…”

“Ike?”

There was the loud banging again, and that meant that Ike was trying to break the wall down.

“Ike what are you doing?!”

“I’m going to break this wall and when I get over there, I’m going to smack some sense into you.”

The clanging of Ragnell against the barrier continued to echo and the trainer felt the vibrating beneath his feet.

“Red, you’re as good as any of the Smash Brothers. Just because you have a different method of fighting, doesn’t mean you don’t do anything. Snake is wrong okay, so you stop being an idiot and kick his ass next time you see him or I’ll do it for you.”

Pokemon Trainer was quiet. Ike was right, he didn’t have to change to impress anyone, and he was who he was, a pokemon trainer. He found he was able to smile again.

“Ike, I don’t how what I would have done without you.”

“What was that?”

The boy blushed, had he said that out loud?

“I… I just want to thank you, again. You’re always there for me.”

There was a reluctant pause. “Sure Red.”

“…What would you do if this wall ever came down?”

“...If it ever came down? …Maybe I would find out who I really was?”

“…Where would we go after that? I mean, after we find out about ourselves?”

“Well, wouldn’t we go home then?”

Red didn’t say anything. Deep in his heart, he wanted to get out of here and to find out about himself, but there was also something else pulling at his heartstrings. He knew what it was, but he didn’t want to bring it up.

And it was that fateful battle that everything went downhill for the trainer, and perhaps maybe the both of them. It was a time team match with Pokemon Trainer & Bowser (Team Red) versus Link & Ike (Team Green). Ike had been on the receiving end of a Bowser’s claws and fire breath. It was also unfortunate that he ended up in the wrong places at the wrong time because the mercenary kept falling into motion sensor bombs meant for Team Red and the Green Greens’ apples and blocks only helped in building up his damage.

At the moment both teams had one loss each, so it would end up as a Sudden Death match if time ended soon enough. When Bowser grabbed a Golden Hammer and Ike was stuck in a Pitfall, Pokemon Trainer commanded his Squirtle to do a Withdraw attack.

Although confused, the water type followed his trainer’s command, and the turtle bounced off a yellow block, off the small ledge and won a KO for Team Green.

“TIME!”

Team Green had emerged victorious and Bowser and Squirtle clapped for their respectable opponents. Pokemon Trainer held his hat over his eyes and looked to the floor.

Link swung his sword around and stuck it back in his sheath. Ike also stuck his sword to the ground and crossed his arms; however, he said something that no one has ever heard before.

“Don’t go easy on me, I’m not that weak.”

There was a hinted venomous tone in it and Pokemon Trainer definitely heard it.

“Ike?”

As he expected, there was no response. The two had returned to their respective places, but the mercenary has not said a word to the trainer ever since.

“…Ike, I’m sorry, but I did _not _lose on purpose.”

Okay so that was a lie. He wasn’t sure when he learned to do that.

“…Ike, please talk to me.”

“Why did you tell Squirtle to jump off the cliff?”

“…I didn’t tell him to jump off the cliff; it was a misaimed Withdraw attack.”

“It was totally unnecessary and I think you knew that too. Really Red, why did you tell it to do that?”

“…It was just bad judgment, okay?”

There was no response again.

“Ike?”

And that was the last time Pokemon Trainer talked to him.

Countless battles later, he had not seen Ike in any of them, whether they were battle royals or Wi-Fi there was no sign of the mercenary. The yellow room he stayed in was small and cold and he became acquainted with Loneliness again. He thought that this time, he would just over come it; he had his pokemon after all.

It was impossible though. During a fight, he could barely concentrate, wondering when his next match with Ike would be. And after every fight, whether it was a win or loss, he would go over to that same spot and knock on that yellow wall, hoping sometime that Ike would knock back.

The only thing he had left was the memories of the time when he and Ike were still friends. That word echoed in his mind, friends. Suddenly, he felt like his breath was knocked out of him. They were just friends, right? Did it make sense for it to hurt this much now that he was gone?

“I just… didn’t want to see you hurt.”

He spoke to nobody and his echo taunted him. He realized it now, he needed Ike more than he thought.

“PLAYER 2, Pokemon Trainer!”

When he opened his eyes, he was at Final Destination. It was a one on one stock match. His opponent stood not too far from where he was.

His opponent was Ike.

“Go Ivysaur!”

“3” “2” “1” “GO!”

Strangely neither fighter moved from their spots. Player one picked up his Ragnell and tapped it against his shoulder as he waited.

“Ike.”

He wasn’t sure if he could hear him, but he was going to say it anyway.

“Ike! I just wanted to say I’m sorry for what I did, it was dumb and I know you’re still angry at me, but… I did it because… I couldn’t stand to see you hurt. It was too painful watching you get blasted away like that. I know it shouldn’t matter, since there is no real pain outside a battle, but… it hurts me to watch you like that. …I don’t know what else to say, I’m really sorry. Please, don’t ignore me anymore, I can’t stand it.”

Red wasn’t sure whether Ike had heard any of the speech or not, but he swung his sword over his head and to the side and told his opponent to “Prepare yourself.”

In the end, the trainer had lost. He held his hat over his eyes again. He tried his best this time, really he did.

“I fight… for my friends.”

Red looked up from the floor. He noticed the pause that was never there before and wondered what it meant.

When they got back to the box, the first thing the trainer did was bang his fist against the wall that connected him to Ike. The loud bang of the Ragnell was the response.

“Red, were you really telling the truth when you said all that?”

“Why else would I say it if it’s not true?”

“…Is that everything you wanted to say?”

The trainer’s heart dropped at the sudden question. …Was he able to lie to him again? After all that time he had gone alone and all those disappointing Brawls ending with not being able to see Ike, he didn’t think it was worth it to lie to him again.

“I…”

But he couldn’t bring it up, if he did, Ike would leave him again anyway. …No, Ike’s trust was important, maybe more important than his own feelings. Lying to him was worse than never saying it.

“I…”

“Red?”

“…I don’t know how to say it. I don’t know why I’m feeling this way. It’s the reason I did that stupid thing last time. You’re so kind to me, I don’t want anything bad happening to you. You always know how to cheer me up, and when you’re good, I feel like I don’t need anything else. I’d rather stay in here and be able to talk to you like we use to. If I could have that, I don’t think I care if we ever get out of here. Ike, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I don’t want to lose you.”

“…”

“I think I’m in love with you.”

It was like that time all over again when he didn’t have Ike. The battles were meaningless and there was never anything to look forward to returning to the room. He didn’t know how he did it, but Ike must have found some way to avoid the fights that the trainer entered. Maybe he was wrong; he probably made the wrong choice. Yes, that was it, now he was being punished for that. If only he had just lied, maybe he would still be friends with Ike.

Pokemon Trainer sat alone with tears running down the sides of his face. He was crying.

He threw out Ivysaur’s pokeball first, as he was Player One. He waited for Player Two to come in. His eyes widened at the transportation spell that appeared. No, he shouldn’t get his hopes up. The pokemon trainer looked away, focusing on his pokemon and waited for the announcer to signal the beginning of the fight.

“GO!”

“Ivysaur-“

“Red!”

That voice, the familiar sound that he learned he fell in love with, it was Ike’s voice. His heart pounded with excitement and his face flushed pink, the trainer turned around.

Ike dropped Ragnell to the ground and ran over to where he was. He stopped just a few feet away. Red reached a hand out, but the invisible barrier that kept him in the background prevented his hand from going any further. Still, he kept his hand on the barrier, as if his presence there would make it go away.

To his surprise, Ike also put his hand to the barrier, right where his own hand was. If the barrier wasn’t there, they would be holding their palms against one another.

“I finally get to see you after all this time.”

“… I thought you would never want to see me again after what I said.”

“I’ve realized it Red. You’re important to me. And…I wouldn’t mind not knowing who I was if you were there with me.”

“…Ike…”

Ike nodded. The two felt warmth at where their hands joined and they realized that the barrier was not there anymore. Their fingers entwined with one another, clasping their hands in gentle hold. They didn’t need victory or answers, they had each other, and with that, they felt complete.

The blackness faded away and he opened his eyes again. Pokemon Trainer stared up into the sky. It took a while to register what just happened, but the blond boy that hovered over him made him remember everything. He had been knocked unconscious after Galleom grabbed them and set up that self destruct bomb.

“Mr. Trainer, are you okay?!”

“Yeah, I’m fine Lucas. You saved me didn’t you?”

“No! Sir Meta Knight saved us both after the explosion!”

“Don’t be so modest Lucas; you saved your friend with that PK Thunder of yours.”

Pokemon Trainer laughed as the blond boy blushed and stumbled over his words.

“But I’m glad you’re okay Mr. Trainer!”

Lucas held out a hand to help him up, and the trainer took it.

“Thanks Lucas, I owe you.”

“You don’t owe me anything, you saved me once before, so I’m returning the favor, and that’s what friends do!”

“Yes, we’re friends.” The last word rolled off his tongue quite smoothly, it was a word he was familiar with.

Meta Knight then introduced the young pair to his two other companions. The prince named Marth was friendly enough, the mercenary looked a little threatening but he was just as nice. They were all on the same mission to run after those strange Primid creatures and stop them from creating what they called the Subspace.

“Pokemon Trainer?” The mercenary had addressed the trainer.

“Yes?”

“…I was just wondering if that was your real name.” Ike held a fist under his chin in contemplation.

“…” The trainer didn’t know if he was being mocked or not, but he didn’t say anything.

“…Can I just call you Red?”

“Red?” He had been called that name before, sometime in his life, and the name felt like a distant memory filled with sweet moments. “Sure, if you like.”


End file.
